Altuve’s three hits lead Astros to series win over Tigers

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Jose Altuve is reaching a new stratosphere daily, a short man among the proverbial boys, a player fit for an All-Star game and a player of the month award and who knows what else by the end of the season.

Jose Altuve continues to tear it up at the plate, recording his fourth straight multi-hit game in Houston’s 6-4 win over the Tigers on Sunday. (Photo: Eric Christian Smith/For the Chronicle)

Nothing will be more exciting for the Astros in the second half than a brewing race for the major league lead hits — even a batting title. In Sunday’s 6-4 win over the Tigers, Altuve had three more hits in five trips, bringing his average to .347.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus raised the point Sunday that when it’s going bad for hitters, it feels like there’s 20 men on the field. For Altuve, it must feel now like only the pitcher is out there.

“I will say yes, because the numbers but, you know, it’s not only (that),” Altuve said when asked if this is the best he has felt. “I feel 100 percent, my body feels the best.”

Altuve has a major league-best 116 hits, seven shy of the club record for most before the all-star break: 123, set by Bob Watson in 1973. Altuve can catch up easily with 10 games to go.

As for Ausmus’ managerial counterpart who sees Altuve on a daily basis, Bo Porter didn’t mince his words when praising his second baseman.

“In my opinion, this guy’s the best player in baseball right now,” Porter said.

Most impressive, though, was the result of Altuve’s two steals. The first one came in the first inning when Tigers starting pitcher Drew Smyly, a lefty, threw over to first as Altuve broke for second, but the relay throw to second wasn’t caught cleanly.

When Altuve swiped second again in the second inning, he became the first player since Ray Chapman of the 1917 Cleveland Indians to swipe more than one bag in four straight games. Chapman is a known name because he remains the only MLB player to die of an injury suffered in a game. He died in 1920 after a pitch from the Yankees’ Carl Mays caught him in the head, before helmets were used.

Altuve might not feel invincible on the base paths, but he looks it.

“Everything you want to do in baseball, you have to have a little confidence, you have to be sure that you’re going to get it,” Altuve said. “With (George)Springer hitting behind me, the pitcher is almost 100 percent worried about him.”

Amazingly, Altuve’s 36 steals mark a career-high, too. He stole 35 last season and 33 the year before. Steals are great, but the rate of success is essential, and he’s improved his efficiency. In 2013, Altuve was caught 13 times. He’s been caught just three times this year.

“You see the fire in his eyes,” Jon Singleton said of Altuve. “It’s definitely contagious.”

Astros starting pitcher Scott Feldman continued to show that he’s turned a corner, and the Astros took two of three from a Tigers team that’s in first place in the American League Central and arrived with a seven-game win streak.

The Astros bullpen had a scary moment in the eighth inning, when Jose Veras allowed two runs, cutting the ‘Stros lead to 5-4. Lefty Tony Sipp came on with the potential tying run at third base and struck out pinch hitter Ian Kinsler — who hit the three-run home run in the ninth inning a day earlier — on three pitches.

“You’re looking at the fact they had Kinsler sitting over there, at that point, you got to bring in your best guy and force them to make a move,” Porter said.

Sipp, who was unavailable Saturday, finished out the game for just his third career save. Porter wanted to stay away from using Chad Qualls but would have used him for a batter.

The Astros got a big insurance run in the bottom of the eight on a Jon Singleton single up the middle, his second RBI as he tries to break out of the doldrums.

Tigers starter Drew Smyly allowed four of the Astros’ run and recorded just seven outs, exiting in the third inning. Three runs came home in the first.

Feldman, meanwhile, allowed two runs in six innings, his third quality start in his last five outings, with a 3.24 ERA in that time. His ERA on the season is down to 3.92.

Feldman hadn’t taken a win since May 26, but some mechanical changes and better health has him on a roll nonetheless.

“It’s a long season, going to have ups and downs,” Feldman said. “I know that I’m probably going to have some more good games, probably have some more bad ones, but I just try to look at how things are at the end of the year.”